


What If The Storm Ends

by XxMidnightMasqueradexX



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Feels, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:02:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22256878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxMidnightMasqueradexX/pseuds/XxMidnightMasqueradexX
Summary: A small little epilogue to "Thou Art My Treasure , Thou Art My Heart" you should probably read that before reading this!
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Sakamoto Ryuji
Kudos: 17





	What If The Storm Ends

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a cute and fluffy epilogue! Thought you'd all appreciate it after what me and my friend Sleeping Beauty/ Bea did to Ryuji last fic.

The rain splattered heavily upon the roof of Café Leblanc, and Ryuji’s leg was aching again. It had only been a month since the last storm, and a month since Ryuji had started dating Ren. Today was their one month anniversary.

They had spent it dining out at the restaurant where they decided to call themselves The Phantom Thieves. Ren and Ryuji had both worked themselves to the bone to afford it. Needless to say when Ren suggested they dine out there, he was touched that he recalled him wanting to go there again. See, the two of them didn’t touch much upon with what happened last month.

Ryuji could now remember his own death with startling clarity. He knew that he'd mentioned about going back to eat there while he lie in Ren's arms. Neither of them were too keen on bringing it up.

Of course they did reminisce about their little tender moments after the fact, but they still refused to speak of anything that had gone on, during that dark stormy night, while in Mementos.

At the current moment they were huddled up on Ren’s futon, having just barely made it out of the flash storm, and had dried themselves off as best they could. Ren had flicked on his heater to help them dry off faster, disregarding his rain stained glasses off to the side as he did so.

Ryuji might be an idiot, but he wasn’t that stupid, he could tell that there was something weighing heavily upon Ren’s mind. He’d gone quieter since they’d gotten back from their date. It started with only a few trickles of raindrops falling from the sky as they had left the Station, to then full on pouring. Causing them to scramble back to the Café, becoming drenched in the process. Now they were just somewhat damp.

There was a distant rumble of thunder overhead and with it Ren’s body tensed against his ever so slightly, and his hold tightened around him. His body only relaxed when the rumble faded off.

Ryuji shifted himself towards his raven haired boyfriend, furrowing a brow in scrutiny. But he decided not to pry, instead he brought up a hand and lightly brushed it through his raven locks, and brought his lips to rest against his temple.

“Hey, if you two are gonna start locking lips I’m outta here.” Morgana meowed down at them, from the top of a shelf, where he had been taking a catnap, which was rudely cut short because of the storm. He flicked his tail, giving them both a disapproving glare. It wasn’t that he was against the love they shared, Morgana just thought kissing was gross.

Ren huffed a soft laugh that chokes in his throat as the thunder shook the one window he had. He eyes the window with a stony gaze as he huddles _even closer_ to Ryuji. He wraps his arms around his shoulders, leaving soft pecks on his cheek. Morgana eyes them, tail flicking with each soft peck.

_Peck. Peck. Peck. Peck. Peck-_

“Okay, I’m getting a vibe here. I’m out, downstairs is warmer anyway. I can get Sojiro to give me a meal.” Morgana stretched himself out and hops to the floor and then trots his way towards the stairs.

A sudden rumble of thunder makes everyone jump, especially Ren who hides his face into Ryuji’s neck, not caring that his glasses are digging into his cheek. The feline makes a soft worried growl. “Look after our leader.” And then Morgana was gone.

Ren peeks as Morgana vanishes down the stairs. Privacy acquired, Ren gently turns Ryuji around to kiss his lips, hands cupping the sides of his neck.

Ryuji responds readily and with ease yet the anxiety in his chest refuses to go away, a hard knot behind his heart. Ren sighs as they part. “Sorry.” He laces their hands together and tries to shake off the slump. “Want to play some games?”

Ryuji wanted to make a retort to the annoying pile of fur, that was named Morgana, that he’d already died once to keep their Leader safe. So of course he was the best person to take care of Ren, but the cat had already sauntered off down the steps.

Also well, saying that would just be VERY tactless so even if Morgana had stayed put Ryuji would have bit back his tongue and just scoffed out a ‘yeah yeah’ or something along those lines. But then Ren had pressed their lips together just as Morgana took his leave, so really he wasn’t even physically capable of making any remarks.

Besides, who had time to be annoyed when the one they loved the most was pouring down affection upon them? Once Ren pulled away and offered to play games to pass the time, Ryuji nodded in agreement.

Though deep down in the pit of his stomach, several seeds of worry had been planted, and began to take root. Ren was behaving like a skittish rabbit afraid of its own shadow.

He wasn’t his usual self, and that was cause for alarm. Ryuji knew Ren more than anybody else in the world, not even Ren’s parents knew about Ren as much as Ryuji did.

Yet despite it all, he didn’t try to force it out of him. Perhaps he’d attempt to gently coax it out of him later, but right now he’d it be. Instead he lightly rubbed a circle against Ren’s cheek with his thumb, “Yeah man, what games yah got?”

They both disperse to the couch near the tv and tried to pass the time until the flash storm was over. Ren tried his best to dispel the heaviness weighing on him but it continued to sit in the pit of his stomach. Seconds seemed to crawl by, even with Ryuji at his side, the rain grated on him and thunder made him think of black and red and a cold weight in his arms. Ren shakes his head as another rumble of thunder roars overhead.

_Stop Ren, stop. That’s behind you. It’s over, Ryuji is right here._

He knows his state of mind is noted by even his mostly oblivious boyfriend. He keeps glancing at him and his touches are extra gentle, like they are reminding him that his comfort is always there. Ren appreciates it but hates that he is worrying him over what he feels is nothing. _Should_ be nothing. He sighs as he loses in the game, his mind unable to focus.

“Is your leg ok?” Ren says as casually as he can as he starts up another game. He knows it sounds anything but, pauses between words odd and pitched wrong. But he felt this need to say something, anything, to loosen the pressure inside him. “Because of the storm.”

Ryuji blinks, taken aback, this wasn’t the direction he thought this night would be going yet here they are. He looks over at his boyfriend, attempting to read his expression, yet true to Ren form he was keeping his expression as unreadable as possible. He knew deep down something was eating away at the inside of Ren’s skull, but he just couldn’t for the life of him figure out what it was.

“It ain’t that bad, Ren." There was no hint of dishonesty in his voice, because actually ever since being brought back from the dead, the pain had lessened.

He didn't understand how but he wasn't complaining, “It ain’t botherin’ me as much as usual.” A part of him felt a warmth flicker inside of his chest, because of Ren’s concern over his wellbeing. But another part of him felt a chill settle in as well and combine with the warmth. Leaving an odd combination of said sensation.

“I’ll let ya know if it starts to act up too much, promise.” The words just flowed out naturally, he felt as though Ren needed to hear it. He patted him on the back, right between his shoulders. “C’mon man, lemme see ya step it up this turn. Give me a challenge, yeah?”

Ren leans back into Ryuj’s hand while it was still there. Damn, when did he become so needy to touch. But just a brush was enough to quell his fears. At least for a while. Ren cracks his knuckles and dives back into the game.

He actually manages to push his fear aside, getting into the button mashing, focusing and even bantering with Ryuji a little bit. Ryuji makes a joke and Ren actually laughs. The beaming smile he gets never gets old.

Just as he’s about to win, however, a strike of lightning flashes just outside his window, followed by a deafening clash of thunder. The entire house vibrates and there is a buzzing zap. Then the house goes dark.

Downstairs, Sojiro yells about a power outage and that the lights will come back soon, but Ren barely acknowledges it. The controller slips out of his hands. He reaches out blindly, eyes taking _forever_ to adjust. It’s pitch black, the darkness makes the rain sound even louder, surrounding him.

“Ryuji.” Ren takes a breath that is way too deep and way too fast. His hands flailing at his side as he desperately searches for him in the pitch darkness. “Ryuji...!”

Ryuji froze up as the darkness descended upon them. It wasn’t as though the lightning or even the thunder had startled him, it was the darkness all around him that surrounded him like chains. His mind went blank, and he swore he could hear the faint swaying of chains.

**_Clinkclinkclink._ **

Then Ren’s voice silenced the auditory hallucination, and he broke out of his trance. He felt a sting against his cheek, but he didn’t know why. It was as if something had shot out of the darkness and hit him.

Though he’d been too caught up in his own world of unease to notice. “Renren.” He turned himself towards where he knew his boyfriend was, and he reached out into the darkness and pulled him into embrace.

He held him gently yet firmly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Ren. He didn’t know where he was kissing, but he had to do something to soothe him. If it wasn’t so dark he’d know he was kissing Ren’s forehead.

“It’s alright it’s just the power.” It may be a tad hypocritical of him, seeing as he too was caught unawares by it just moments ago, but it was all for the sake of calming Ren. “Ain’t nothin gonna hurt ya.”

Ren clings onto the warm body, hands running over him until he finds his chest, his heart beat thumping under his palm. Good. _Good_. However, running his hand up his exposed arm from his t-shirt, he feels the goosebumps popping up on his skin, the hairs risen up. Ryuji is scared too. Ren feels selfish. He’s freaking out when Ryuji was most likely having the more traumatic experience.

Ren’s little traumatic flashbacks are probably inconsequential compared to Ryuji probably reliving DYING a month ago. His knuckles also buzz slightly. He must’ve slapped him while he was looking for him. He cringes at himself.

“Mm. Sorry. Hit you.” He feels over Ryuji’s face until he finds his lips, kissing the corner. “Nothing hurt you neither.” The rain is reaching its crescendo now, the worst of it right on top of them. Winds have picked up and rattle the windows.

Unfortunately, there is no immediate source of light; there is no torch in Ren’s room and their phones are over by the futon. Neither feel like moving. Another lightening strike briefly illuminates the room, yet it somehow feels terrifying. Ren grits his teeth. “Hate this,” he hisses. “Hate storms.”

Ryuji holds Ren to him, allowing him to move his hands all around him. He could feel one of Ren’s hands coming to a rest against his chest and linger there, while the other one ran up his arm. Those touches put his heart back at ease as well as his mind.

Ren’s lips brushed his and he felt himself warm back up, the chill being chased back to wherever it had emerged from. The blonde was at a loss though, Ren hadn’t ever been this amped up during a storm before.

In fact Ryuji once recalled Ren mention in passing that he loved the rain and storms, not too long after meeting one another for the first time, that they were soothing to him.

So why was he shaking? He could feel his body trembling lightly in his arms. He wasn’t even hung up on the fact Ren had smacked him, he didn’t care it was an accident after all. He just wanted to understand why he’d been on edge since leaving the station.

He lifts a hand and brings it up to Ren’s head, so he can brush his hand through his hair. He knew that it would to pacify him. His mind flickers to Mementos as he dwells on Ren returning his words that nothing was going to hurt him either.

Then it clicked in his mind, was that why Ren was acting so anxious? Could the storm be bringing him back to that stormy night in Mementos? They hadn’t been back there since the incident, not that Ryuji blamed them.

They all needed quite a break from it after all that had transpired. He decides it’s best if he doesn’t bring any of it up for now, it would only worsen things. So instead he gently moved his arms to wrap them around Ren’s head and gently guide him down so his ear was pressed up against his chest. “There… it’s alright, ya hear?”

“No.” Ren shook his head but nonetheless gripped at his shirt, listening to the soothing thump. His voice drops to a whisper as it all comes spilling out, unable to keep it in anymore.

“Hate storms. Hate rain. Reminds me of Mementos, of your leg hurting when weather’s bad. Reminds me of _that_ day.” Ren suddenly feels like crying out of frustration, but he doesn’t want to and yet ironically that makes him want to cry more. “But I hate feeling like this. Everything is okay, I shouldn’t feel like this.” Underneath him, felt Ryuji go still a long while ago as he listens to him.

Ren gulps. “I shouldn’t feel like this. You have it worse.” He runs his hand up his arm, feeling the residual goosebumps. “You’re scared too. Should be taking care of you, not making you worry about me.”

Ryuji let Ren’s words sink in, just knowing Ren had been harboring all this since that harrowing night was causing his chest to ache.

Though it wasn’t a bad ache, it was an ache of longing, an ache that urged him to help Ren through his jumbled up emotions. It was an ache born of love and of the need to comfort. He wrapped his arms around him and held him tightly against the storm raging outside.

Perhaps avoiding what happened was only going to cause them more grief in the long run. Maybe it was time to finally talk about it so they could accept it and move on.

“Ren..” He began, letting his voice fall several octaves, which was unusual for the overly boisterous blonde, he didn’t often bother controlling his volume.

“Ya know what frightened me the most that day?” He began, feeling Ren stiffen up, but he didn’t falter they both needed this talk.

They’d get through this together, just like they’d gotten through Kamoshida and Madarame’s palaces together by having one another’s backs through thick and thin.

“It wasn’t me dyin' I can tell ya that. It was the thought of never seeing ya again, or bein’ able to tell ya how I felt. Ya sure dyin wasn’t a pleasant experience, but I…” He trailed off, wondering how to phrase his next words.

He’d been prepared to die that day against the Reaper if need be. In fact he always had been prepared to die. Even back in Kamoshida’s palace, he would have gladly exchanged his life to save Ren’s own, even though they’d just met and were little more than strangers to one another.

And since getting to know one another that never changed. In fact Ryuji only felt even more prepared to die for Ren if it came down to protecting him.

Despite all the waves of terror that crashed over him while the Reaper hunted him down last month, that fear wasn’t for himself. At least the majority of it wasn’t. A fraction of him had been afraid to die, but it paled in comparison with possibility of never seeing or hearing Ren again.

Losing Ren had been the thing he had feared above all else that stormy night.

As soon as he turned away and led the Reaper on a wild chase through Mementos he had accepted the fact he could very well die, and he came to terms with it once his blood started spilling onto the concrete.

He’d been prepared to die, though he would be lying if he wished that he hadn’t. Cause here they were now, with Ren a trembling mess in his arms. If he hadn't died then they wouldn't have to be going through this pain right now.

“I love ya Ren, I really do, more than ramen, more than video games, Hell I love ya more than I love running. So don’t you dare feel sorry, alright? Everything ain’t okay cause we both kept this locked up. But it's okay to not be okay. Ya can feel how ya feel. If ya need to just let loose an cry do it, I ain’t gonna judge.” He began to rub his back slowly, not knowing if it would bring him any peace of mind, but he could hope that it would.

“You have every right to cry. I was the one that caused you all that worry that night, and ended up hurting you like that. I’m sorry Renren, I never meant to hurt you like that. I just didn’t want to lose you. I was being stupid, I didn’t even think twice before running off how you must've felt the same about losing me. I…”

He took in a shaky breath, “I guess I just didn’t realize how much I meant to everyone, I dunno man. I just… I never belonged anywhere and no one wanted me to belong with them. But when I was lying there I realized that what I had done was going to hurt you. But I couldn’t take it back, couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Then I woke up back in the attic… and I was allowed to try and make amends with you. So what I’m sayin is…”

One of his hands retracted from Ren’s back and he felt around until he found his chin. He lightly lifted his head up and then leaned down, and in spite of the darkness he brushed their lips together.

Then he whispered, “I’m sorry Ren, I’m sorry for making you go through that. It was reckless and it was foolish, and if I had just let you think for a while longer, you probably would have pulled a plan outta thin air like ya always do and gotten us all out safely.”

He pressed their lips together, pouring all his remorse, passion and love into it. Not letting Ren go, even as he felt him struggle against it slightly.

But after a few seconds of fighting, he gave in. And fresh tears slipped down their cheeks as they properly began to grieve, both of them letting all those emotions they kept locked away about that night out. It was their first steps on the long road of recovery for the both of them.

Ren tensed and tried to pull back when Ryuji kissed him, but the firm grip on his chin and the push on his back kept in him place until he relented and relaxed, leaning forward to kiss him back. The kiss was soft but salty, tears from both sides and yet it was the kind of kiss Ren needed. Ren felt so much lighter, more free.

There was obviously no guarantee that they would not face harm again; the life of a phantom thief offers no such opportunity. But he could be a bit more confident now Ryuji wasn’t going to be running into CERTAIN death again, and that Ryuji finally realized that not just him but to the whole team. When they finally pulled away, they shared a few warm giggles in the dark, still feeling a little raw but also _closer_. “Thanks, Ryuji,” Ren whispers, reaching up to wipe at Ryuji’s tear-stained cheeks.

“What would I do without you, really?” Ren’s still a rookie at this friend and feelings thing, but with Ryuji there it makes navigating it so much easier. He lets the anxiety wash over him, letting him acknowledge that even a month later, he’s still shaken up even with everything resolved and the fear is still there, but not as constricting as he was when he was bottling it up.

Wasn’t that just wild, that _letting_ yourself accept that you’re hurting makes you heal _so much faster_. Ren grins in the dark and pulls Ryuji out of his chair and into his lap, hearing him yelp and grip his shoulders. Ren looked up blindly at where he thought Ryuji’s face was, eyes only able to see an outline.

“You’re special, Ryuji. To everyone. We can’t be THE Phantom Thieves without you.” Ren rests his hands on Ryuji’s waist. “I forgive you for running off to save our lives, but I hope you promise not to do it again. And that... you come to me too whenever you’re not feeling good.” He purses his lips and and frowns in his lap. “I may be better at thief plans than feelings, but I still want to be there. And learn."

A thunder rumble sounds in the air and they both jump at the sound of it. But it sounds further away now and the rain is lessening, no longer sounding like a million pellets on his roof.

The boys share a laugh at each other’s reaction. “We can be scared of rain together,” Ren suggests brightly. “Until we’re not scared of it anymore. Is that a good idea?”

Ryuji didn’t know it was possible to feel anymore loved by Ren than he already was, or to love Ren even deeper than before. Yet here he was, just consumed by pure and blissful love, he had never thought that he’d find this kind of love, not even if given a lifetime to do so. But he had found a love that he’d never even thought possible for him. Perhaps his life restarted anew and for the better a month ago?

Come to think of it, if he really concentrated back on the ordeal that the Reaper had put them through in Mementos, it was as though it was fated to have occurred.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on why, but everything had all aligned on that day to bring Ryuji’s life to an end and then bring him back. A forgotten memory swam at the back of his mind, as he held Ren to his chest, he rested their foreheads together.

“Geez man, that was totally sappy, Renren. But… thank you, guess I needed to hear that.” A content sigh filtered through his lungs. The promise Ren brought forth was one that he unfortunately knew he may be unable to keep, though he could promise something else.

“Our lives ain’t gonna be easy, Ren. I can only promise that I’ll try and avoid doing something like that again. If there’s a way to avoid coming across a situation, where I might need to so something risky, then I’ll take the safer option. But I’m sure as eff gonna keep protecting you, I’ll just have to think harder before I act on it, that way I don’t take risks that we probably could have avoided. But I can fully promise that I'll come to you if things get tough on me."

At least he could give him that with certainty. The storm outside was starting to lull into a hushed light rain, the lightning and thunder happening less frequently.

All that was left was the soft patters of tiny drops against the roof and a low and far off howling wind. It was almost peaceful.

“Mhnnn, since when do we ever do anything apart anymore? Course we can be scared together. But… well let’s think of the rain differently. Let’s think of the rain as the thing that brought us together. We did confess to one another that night, and I ain’t gonna let negative feelings ruin that memory for me.”

He had many memories that night, but all of them couldn’t compare to when they’d confessed. It was one of the happiest memories he had, and he was going to let his temporary death ruin that for him. Ever since that night more memories he’d forgotten had come bubbling back to the surface. Like the pain he felt as he lie dying, the fear of leaving Ren’s side, the rain that fell that night.

And the color of velvet in the darkness. A deep voice telling him he’d met his demise, and then two softer voices chiming in that he was to be fated to spend the rest of eternity locked up.

He was still unsure what that had been about. Yet he refused what they’d said and defied them with everything he had until he awoke in Ren’s arms, exhausted but alive. He might not ever come to understand what the Hell the color velvet and those voices had to do with his death, but that didn’t matter. He didn’t need to figure it out, all that mattered to him was being able to spend more time with his Ren.

“My Renren.” He hummed out, coming to the conclusion that the darkness and the rain wasn’t so bad, not when he had Ren in his arms that is.

The two of them came to be curled up on Ren's futon, cuddled together, so close that not even a sheet of paper could be slipped between them.

Their hearts beating in harmony, as the rain fell softly, and for the first time since that dreadful night in Mementos they slept peacefully.

**Author's Note:**

> Ohohohoh what's this? Yes! Ryuji was in the Velvet Room with Igor, Justine and Caroline! That's where he was while he was temporarily dead. He doesn't remember much though, only that he was there. But he doesn't understand it. Our reasoning for Ryuji having been there, is that if you get a gameover with Ren, he wakes up in The Velvet Room. And well we thought it would be cool is that if any of the characters died, they'd end up there, seeing as they're part of Ren's "Rehabilitation" so yeh.


End file.
